The NCAA is known to have a divided opinion against sports betting. And compared to other sports, they are relatively new in sports betting. Despite attracting millions of sports enthusiasts and gamblers, the NCAA is still cautious about its impact on the NCAA culture and sports betting scene.
This article will dive into the NCAA’s opinion on its integration with sports gambling, what you should expect, and what it means for you.
What Made NCAA Successful With Sports Betting
As mentioned, despite its initial protests and cautious approach to gambling, it has shown over the years that the NCAA may fare well with sports betting. For one, it drives interest and popularity, especially for those in professional leagues. It has been the same, especially with the addition of FanDuel NCAAB odds and other online betting platforms.
If the NCAA avoided the whole sports betting integration or implemented it late, it could have missed out on this budding potential to do extensive. In other words, what made the NCAA successful with sports betting is it was already big and a heavily watched platform even before NCAA sports betting was made legal, as there were unregulated betting rings for the NCAA in the past.
Overall, the NCAA has elements similar to a professional sports league like the NFL or the NBA, so it makes sense that college sports and gambling exist together.
The NCAA Crackdown on Sports Betting Athletes
Ironically, while the NCAA has a strong presence for sports betting, it has a strict but often vague implementation of gambling student-athletes. Last May of this year, around 40 student-athletes of Iowa State were being held in investigation for allegations of sports betting.
Student-athletes found violating their guidelines may be subjected to different punishments. Depending on the degree, punishments may range from being suspended for a number of games to ineligibility to compete altogether. However, it is on a case-to-case basis, and such athletes may subject themselves to the Committee of Student-Athlete Reinstatement for discussions.
On top of that, even sharing information related to competing athletes or the competition proper may be subject to the said violation, as it could influence future sports bettors. The NCAA remains steadfast in its integrity and limitations to its relationship with sports betting platforms.
What’s In It For You?
Whether you’re a NCAA student-athlete or a sports bettor, it is essential to understand what this venture means for you. To understand, here’s what you need to consider, whether you’re playing or betting.
A New Way to Attract Recruiters
When a player comes to the field, they get their own performance statistics and betting odds. Most recruiters, especially those from the top leagues, look at your numbers and your skills. For a student-athlete taking a shot to be a professional, an accurate representation of your numbers is essential.
Additionally, it makes your recruiting chance fair amongst other teams. Instead of your MVP taking the limelight away because of their presence or fame, you can shine bright through your expertise. Recruiters looking to build a team often choose a complete set of specialists with their fortes in a specific field.
That means that even if you don’t have the best shooting power, if you excel in other things like defense, setting up assists, and being a good contributor, your performance odds will increase your chances. And because this is a team sport, there is a chance that you will be playing with your teammates as professional athletes in the future. That is the trend with most recruiters: getting the prospects who’ve played together on the same NCAA team.
A More Transparent Approach to Betting
What makes the NCAA different from professional sports is that they value their student-athletes integrity and see them as their own rather than professional players. That means they strongly emphasize transparency and regularization between sports betting platforms.
For sports bettors, being transparent and consistent on fairness and integrity are important values as you bet your money to profit. You’re also giving them an advantage as the potential revenue of every NCAA league can be placed on scholarships, funding for various projects, and more.
In other words, you are betting to win, for transparency, and for the future of your favorite student-athletes.
Takeaway
The NCAA holds the brightest futures of professional basketball. We see potential striving to win and being this generation’s powerhouse at its roots. That is why they hold strong measures in guarding their student-athletes integrity and values against the dangers of sports betting. While sports betting holds promise in funding these players and making the NCAA bigger as a sports league, the NCAA still holds a lot of responsibility for regulating it.
As for you, it all depends on whether you take the opportunity or not. As a bettor or athlete, the NCAA shows promise. But between their potential as a legitimate sports league and a sports betting event, caution must be made clear, and being responsible with yourself has to take place.